5 People Who Deserve Bharat Ratna

Wikipedia describes Bharat Ratna as "the Republic of India's highest civilian award, awarded for the highest degrees of national service" which includes "artistic, literary, and scientific achievements, as well as "recognition of public service of the highest order."

Bharat Ratna literally translates to 'gem of India' which means a person who is a prized possession of the nation. A true Bharat Ratna is a person that has brought laurels that are irreplaceable or offered services that helped in the betterment of the entire country. The Bharat Ratna awardees of the past have surely been worthy recipients but there are some people that have gone unnoticed despite having some mighty impressive work behind them. This list showcases some such personalities that are, indeed, the greatest assets of our country and deserve to win the Bharat Ratna.

1. Sachin Tendulkar

There is nothing much that hasn't been said about the ultimate cricket maestro of our country. The name Sachin Tendulkar instantly brings to mind an image of Indian cricket in all its pride and glory. There have been legends in cricket but no cricketer has had such an impact on the nation. Irrespective of whether a person loves cricket or not, it would be rare that the person is unaware of the stature of Tendulkar. Respected by people around the world, many go on to say that he is an even greater cricketer than the legendary, Sir Don Bradman. The said reason why Sachin hasn't won a Bharat Ratna is because the award cannot be bestowed on a sportsperson. This, we think, is no reason why the award should be kept from a person who is undoubtedly one of the nation's biggest assets.

Why he deserves it? Because he is the one man who can take a billion mindsets and make them one.

2. Azim Premji

According to Bill Gates, "If anyone personifies India's economic transformation, it is Azim Premji, chairman of the information-technology powerhouse Wipro Ltd." Premji's success story is a source of inspiration for youngsters which proves how perseverance and determination can take an individual to dizzy heights. Azim Premji is an asset to our nation not only because he helped India in becoming a significant player on the economic front but also because of his philanthropy.

Premji is deeply involved with charity, and especially dedicated to the cause of providing education to the under-privileged kids. Recently, he donated $2 billion to his foundation, which was the largest contribution in the history of charity in India. He also plans to start 2 schools in every district in India that could easily shame the public education system of the country if it succeeds.

Why he deserves it? He has not only made a great fortune for himself by his extreme dedication but has the desire to give back to the nation, always finding ways to do so.

3. M.F. Hussain

Maqbool Fida Hussain was much too accused in his home-country for people to realize his true worth. He was the gem that India lost because of a handful of people who insisted on taking away the expression of freedom from an artiste. There was never a doubt that he was, indeed, the country's most prolific painters. Not only in India, Hussain was a renowned painter across the globe, revered by art-lovers. His paintings, though controversial, had a lot of insight in them and mostly invited extreme reactions from the critics. The sharp criticism he drew in the country only led him away to another country where he breathed his last.

Why he deserves it? For being a true artiste and not bowing down to criticism while being the country's own Picasso.

4. Dr. Kurien Verghese

The man known as the 'milkman' of India' was nothing short of a magican, at least in the field of food and agriculture. He single handedly orchestrated the 'operation flood', which was the world's largest dairy development program. He was also the founder of the Gujarat Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF) and the man who made the food-brand AMUL such a huge success. Apart from these, Kurien, along with his team, was a pioneer in the invention of the process of making milk powder and condensed milk from buffalo's milk, which was a groundbreaking development in India. He brought about a sea of change in the segment of rural development by involving farmers in a positive way through his extraordinary leadership.

Why he deserves it? For taking something as commonplace as milk in a rural area and creating a worldwide revolution out of it, while making India the largest milk producer in the world.

5. Baba Amte

Murlidhar Devidas Amte, nicknamed 'Baba Amte', was India's miracle worker. He was a man whose sole aim in life was to uplift the downtrodden. He exhausted his life following Gandhian principles and working for the betterment of his fellow-beings. His social activism was of another level and very few present-day activists have that kind of passion for helping others. Such was his dedication that he even offered his own body to be used as an experiment to grow leprae germs in order to find a cure for leprosy. He won several awards in his lifetime, the entire proceeds of which went to Anandwan- an ashram and community rehabilitation centre for leprosy patients.

Why he deserves it? For being the lone hope of humanity in a world lost to commercialism.